Credentials include identification cards, driver's licenses, passports, and other documents. Such credentials are formed from credential substrates including paper substrates, plastic substrates, cards and other materials. Such credentials generally include printed information, such as a photo, account numbers, identification numbers, and other personal information. A secure overlaminate may also be laminated to the surfaces of the credential substrate to protect the surfaces from damage and, in some instances, provide a security feature (e.g., hologram). Additionally, credentials can include data that is encoded in a smartcard chip, a magnetic stripe, or a barcode, for example.
Credential production systems utilize one or more credential processing devices, each of which processes a credential substrate to perform at least one step in forming the final credential product. Such credential processing devices include, for example, printing devices for printing images to the credential substrate, laminating devices for laminating an overlaminate to the credential substrate, flipping devices for rotating the credential substrate, and encoding devices for encoding data to the substrate.
Credential processing devices are complex electromechanical devices that use multiple continuous and discrete processes for completing the desired processing of the credential substrate. For example, identification card printers and laminators utilize multiple processes for the feeding, transport, encoding, thermal printing, lamination and stacking of card substrates.
The electromechanical components that perform the processes in the credential processing devices are prone to failure. The failure of a single component can render the credential processing device inoperable.
Diagnostics can be performed on the components and processes of the credential processing device in an effort to detect problems including potentially failing components of the device before the device is rendered inoperable. In general, process events are detected that are indicative of a problem with the credential processing device. Notice of a need to service the device can be provided to an operator of the device in response to the detection of a process event.
While the detection of process events may provide desired notice of a need to service of the device, it is not generally indicative of whether the credential processing device is operating normally since the components of the device will degrade with use. It is only through an analysis or comparison of the performance of one credential processing device to another that an assessment of whether the credential processing device is operating within a range of normalcy can be made.
There exists a continuing need for improved credential processing device monitoring including methods and systems that are capable of evaluating individual credential processing device performance relative to other credential processing devices.